On this day in 1940, politician Rugare Aleck Ngidi Gumbo was born in Belingwe (Mberengwa) district of Rhodesia (Zimbabwe). Gumbo became active in politics at an early age during the liberation struggle. He was appointed Minister of Economic development in 2005 and Minister of Agriculture in 2007. In 2014, he was ousted from the ZANU-PF party and together with Joice Mujuru, went on and formed another political party called Zimbabwe People First (ZimPF) which was dissolved after disagreements.
On this day in 2014, the late former President of Zimbabwe Robert Gabriel Mugabe blamed Mujuru for corruption and plotting to kill him. Misheck Sibanda asserted that RG Mugabe exercised his authority by releasing the honourable Joice Mujuru with immediate effect. Mrs Mujuru responded with denying the claim that was pondered to her by saying that her loyalty to Mr Mugabe was ‘unquestionable and ‘repugnant’ to suggest she was against Mugabe. She blames the Zimbabwe State media for publishing malevolent untruths and destruction of ZANU-PF.
On this day in 1955, politician Joice Mujuru (born Runaida Mugari) was born in Mt Darwin in Zimbabwe. Mujuru joined the Rhodesian Bush War as a teenager and was nicknamed “Teurai Ropa” because of her war tactics. In 1977, she got married to the late Solomon Mujuru. Post independance she was appointed Minister of Sports, Youth and Recreation. Following the death Simon Muzenda who was then Vice-president in 2004, Mujuru became his successor. In 2014, after being accused of plotting against then President Robert Mugabe, she was dismissed as vice-president and ousted from the ZANU-PF party the following year. She went on and formed another political party called Zimbabwe People First.